"If Ever There Was a Country"

As I reflect over my last two and a half years, from Chicago to LA to Manila, I think about how far I have come, and yet how far I have left to go. This leg of my journey has brought me at times great sorrow and at others great joy, as well as many new friends, many of whom have become like family. Though not a perfect representation, and written over fifty years ago (though in a time not too different from our world today), this poem by Thomas Merton gives me hope to continue down the road less traveled, not necessarily as a monk in a countryside monastery, but as a sojourner in a foreign land...seeking a country where all men and women give their lives to the "one activity which is the beatitude of heaven."

From Chicago to LA to Manila

Kamusta (How are you? or Hello in Tagalog). I am excited to tell you about a new opportunity that God has placed in front of me. Sometimes taking a step of faith is scary, but in Mark 13:30, the Bible tells us that “the gospel must be preached to all nations.” After a long summer of discerning how I can continue to live this out, I have decided to follow a call to a two year missions internship starting this January to the slum communities in Manila, Philippines. I will be working alongside Mission Ministries Philippines and Asian Theological Seminary and already have been offered a part time job at a running store there in Manila!